SUPER 8 WEDDING FILMS IN PORTUGAL, ITALY & FRANCE – AN EDITORIAL GUIDE BY THE LOPES PHOTOGRAPHY
Super 8 Wedding Films in Portugal, Italy & France – An Editorial Guide by The Lopes Photography
If you’re considering Super 8 for your wedding but you’re not totally sure what it actually is, or if it’s worth the investment, this page is for you.
We’re The Lopes Photography, an editorial wedding photography duo working across Portugal, Italy, and France. We photograph on digital + 35mm film + Super 8, and over the last few years we’ve brought Super 8 to palaces in Sintra, modern coastlines in Cascais, greenhouses in Lisbon, monasteries in the north, Tuscan hilltops, Sicilian terraces, and Provençal retreats.
On this page you’ll find:
What Super 8 really is (in normal language)
Whydo couples add it on top of photos and video
How we shoot it so it doesn’t hijack your timeline
Real Super 8 weddings in Portugal, Italy, and France
What you actually receive when you book Super 8 with us
How Super 8 works if you already have a photography and videography team
If you’re a planner or couple, you can send this link to anyone involved in the decision. It’s written to be useful for non-photographers too.
What Is a Super 8 Wedding Film?
Super 8 is not a filter, and it’s not an effect we add in Premiere.
It’s a real analogue motion film format that was originally used for home movies. Instead of hyper-sharp 4K, you get:
Gentle grain and flicker
Slight blur and imperfect movement
Soft highlights, deep shadows and unexpected light leaks
A feeling that someone opened a box of family reels and found your weekend inside
A Super 8 wedding film isn’t trying to record everything. It distils the day down to how it felt:
Your veil catching the wind for three seconds
Your dad’s hand on your arm right before the aisle
guests laughing just off-camera
the exact mood in the room right before the party tips over
Super 8 doesn’t replace your photographs or your digital video.
It sits on top as the emotional layer—the part that already feels nostalgic the first time you watch it.
Why Couples Choose Super 8 (Instead of “Just a Wedding Video”)
The couples who book Super 8 with us normally say some version of:
“We don’t want a traditional long wedding video we’ll never watch.”
“We want something timeless that captures all the emotion, but we don’t want a huge film crew.”
“We love editorial photos, but we also want something that feels like memory.”
Super 8 tends to be the right fit if you:
Love fashion, design, and editorial imagery
Are planning a destination weekend (welcome drinks, pool day, long lunch, boat, etc)
Care more about mood and texture than technical perfection
Want something you’ll actually replay and send to friends and family
Practically, Super 8 is also:
Short and watchable – usually a highlight, not a feature film
Highly portable – the cameras are small, so we move with you
Forgiving – a little blur and chaos just makes it better
If you want something that doesn’t look like everyone else’s wedding film, Super 8 usually becomes the thing couples are most emotionally attached to afterwards.
Jessica and Chris at Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina, Sicily.
How We Shoot Super 8 on a Wedding Weekend
We’re photographers first, which means your timeline, guest experience, and photo coverage always come first.
Super 8 is woven into the day in short, intentional bursts rather than continuous filming.
Throughout the weekend, we tend to “sample” moments like:
Getting ready – fabric moving, hands buttoning cuffs, veil moments, fragrance, vow writing
Ceremony – processional, vows, confetti/exit
Cocktail hour – hugs, champagne, guests drifting through spaces, little kids running around
Portraits – a few short sequences in the most cinematic corners of the venue
Reception & party – entrances, first dance, a few minutes of dance floor chaos
We’re constantly making micro-decisions:
Is this a stills moment, a Super 8 moment, or both?
Can we record 8–10 seconds of film here without disrupting anything?
Is the light and movement right for Super 8, or is it better as a photograph?
The result is a film that looks effortless and organic, but has been built with a lot of care for timing, light, and energy.
Super 8 Weddings in Portugal
Portugal is where most of our Super 8 work lives—palaces, modern hotels, coastal towns, the north, the Alentejo, and Comporta.
Below are a few ways Super 8 shows up across different regions.
Sintra – Palaces, Forests and Layered Details
Sintra is almost too perfect for Super 8: misty hills, cloisters, arches and that slightly surreal feeling of driving up into the forest.
At Penha Longa Resort in Sintra, Super 8 leans into:
cloisters and stone corridors
forest edges and layered greenery
colourful, intricate Indian-wedding details—mandap, textiles, jewellery, henna
Super 8 here feels like an arthouse film set inside a palace: arches, candlelight, saturated colour, and guests moving through courtyards and corridors. It’s less about recording every second and more about catching the in-between moments—family arriving, fabric moving in the wind, the shift from ceremony to celebration.
We’ve also filmed Super 8 at other Sintra venues like Palácio de Seteais, where long corridors, garden paths, and hilltop views give a softer, vintage-European mood. Across Sintra, the combination of architecture + fog + forest makes Super 8 feel naturally cinematic.
Lisbon & Cascais – Refined Interiors and Modern Coastlines
Around Lisbon and Cascais, Super 8 plays with contrast: historic salons and river views on one side; clean, modern coastal lines on the other.
At Grémio Literário in Lisbon, Super 8 leans into:
high-ceiling salons and ornate details
terrace views over the city and river
black-tie styling, candlelight, and quiet, refined movement
Super 8 here feels timeless and polished: gloved hands on banisters, champagne being poured, guests crossing parquet floors, candlelight catching jewellery and glassware. It’s less about wild party footage and more about a slow, elegant record of how the evening actually felt in those rooms.
Along the coast in Cascais, at venues like The Oitavos, the mood shifts to something more graphic and modern:
strong architectural lines
panoramic Atlantic views
decks, glass and sharp light
Here, Super 8 becomes bolder and more minimal—perfect if you want your wedding film to feel clean, contemporary and design-led while still having that nostalgic, analogue texture.
Comporta & the Coast – Sun, Wind and Sand
Along the Comporta dunes, Super 8 is slower and more tactile:
dune paths and grasses in the wind
barefoot guests, linen, salt on skin
late golden light as the day dissolves into night
Here, we’re usually mixing:
a little ceremony/vows
a few portrait sequences in the dunes or by the house
and the feeling of the evening as people spread across the property
It’s the opposite of stiff or staged; it feels like a home movie if your friends were all very well-dressed.
The North – Monasteries and Historic Estates
In the north of Portugal, Super 8 becomes more intimate and reverent.
At Mosteiro de Landim near Braga, for example, we lean into:
cloisters and stone arcades
candlelit dinners in old halls
guests’ voices echoing through courtyards and staircases
and a dance floor that feels extra intense inside such an old, character-filled building
Super 8 here holds both sides of the day: the slow, grounded moments (procession, speeches, family hugs in stone corridors) and the late-night chaos when everyone is dancing under centuries-old ceilings. It’s less about a perfectly “polite” film and more about showing the full range of what a northern Portugal wedding actually feels like in a monastery or historic estate.
Super 8 Weddings in Italy
Italy gives Super 8 endless texture: stone, terracotta, terraces, food, voices, light.
Tuscany – Lupaia
At Lupaia in Tuscany, Super 8 lingers on:
hilltop views in every direction
stone cottages and paths
long tables and slow afternoon light
It’s perfect if you want your wedding weekend to feel like a long, relaxed dinner party that just happens to have a ceremony attached.
Sicily – Belmond Grand Timeo, Taormina
At Belmond Grand Timeo in Taormina, Super 8 feels like an old cinema:
terraces overlooking the sea
classic Italian architecture framing black-tie styling
gardens, columns, and nightfall over the coast
This is where Super 8 becomes pure glamour—less rustic, more “old-world movie star on a balcony in Sicily.”
Super 8 Weddings in France
Provence – Le Grand Banc
In Provence at Le Grand Banc, Super 8 leans into:
pale stone and chalky walls
olive trees, lavender, and dust kicking up on paths
long tables under strings of lights
It’s the sort of setting where the film already looks 20 years old in the best way—even though you just received it.
What You Actually Receive When You Book Super 8
Every photographer has a slightly different process, so here’s how it works with us.
When you add Super 8 to your collection, you typically receive:
A handcrafted Super 8 highlight film (usually around 3–6 minutes, depending on coverage)
Filmed across the most atmospheric parts of your day or weekend (ceremony, key portraits, cocktail hour, reception, and select events like welcome drinks or pool days)
Delivered as an online, shareable file alongside your photo gallery
Edited with carefully chosen, licensed music that matches the mood of your weekend
Super 8 is available in our higher collections and in very limited add-on spots each season. We only take on a small number of weddings per year, so we can stay fully present and intentional with every frame.
Already Have a Photographer and Videographer? You Can Still Add Us for Super 8
Even though we are photographers, many couples bring us in just for Super 8 when they’ve already booked a photography and videography team.
In those cases, we slot in as a specialist Super 8 layer, not as another team trying to “cover” the day.
We coordinate with your planner and existing teams ahead of time
We agree on roles and key moments so nobody is tripping over each other
We keep our footprint light: short bursts of filming, no extra staging, no competing for attention
Your main team focuses on photos and video as planned; we quietly weave in Super 8 so you end up with that nostalgic, editorial film on top of everything you’ve already booked.
Music, Sound, and Copyright – How We Handle It
Because we work with destination couples and our films are often shared all over the world, we always create two layers for your Super 8 soundtrack:
1. Your private “for you” version
For your main Super 8 wedding film, we:
use music you choose (or that we choose together)
license those tracks for private, personal use
deliver a version that you can watch at home, send to family and friends, and keep as your “real” emotional cut
This is the version that feels the most like you. It can include multiple songs across a longer weekend film if needed.
2. Your public / online version
For anything that goes online (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), we have to follow each platform’s rules and music libraries.
For public exposure, we:
recut or export your Super 8 to music that is:
cleared inside that platform’s own music library, or
from a royalty-free/licensed library that the platform allows
sometimes create slightly shorter, platform-specific edits (e.g., one track for Reels, another for YouTube)
The mood and pacing still follow your private version—we use your chosen songs as the emotional reference—but the actual tracks online are picked to keep your film safe and shareable under each platform’s copyright guidelines.
If you prefer to keep your Super 8 completely private and not post it publicly at all, that’s also an option—we’ll talk through that when we plan your coverage.
Super 8 Wedding FAQs
Is Super 8 enough on its own, or do we still need digital video?
Super 8 is an emotional highlight, not a full documentation tool. Many couples book photography + Super 8 only. If you want full audio coverage of speeches and long-form video, we’ll happily recommend trusted videographers and work alongside them.
Will Super 8 make our wedding look “too retro”?
It will feel nostalgic, yes—but in an intentional, editorial way. Think fashion campaign shot on film, not a gimmicky Instagram filter. Your styling, venue and guests still look like you, just with extra warmth and texture.
Does Super 8 work better in daylight or at night?
Super 8 loves natural light and golden hour, but it can be beautiful at night with candles, practical lights and the right dance floor energy. We’ll plan when to use it based on your timeline and lighting.
Can we add Super 8 to our welcome party, pool day or boat day?
Yes. Destination weekends are where Super 8 really comes alive—boat days, pool parties, beach walks, rehearsal dinners. When you enquire, tell us your rough plans, and we’ll suggest where Super 8 will have the most impact.
We already booked a photographer and videographer. Can we still hire you just for Super 8?
Yes. This is very common with destination weddings. In that case, we come in as Super 8 specialists. We coordinate with your existing team and planner, keep things streamlined, and focus purely on the analogue, nostalgic layer so you end up with something you wouldn’t otherwise have.
Do you travel with Super 8 outside Portugal?
Yes. We regularly shoot Super 8 across Portugal, Italy and France, and are available for select destination weekends further afield.
Let’s Talk About Super 8 for Your Destination Wedding
Whether you’re planning:
a palace wedding in Sintra,
a clifftop celebration in the Algarve,
a greenhouse ceremony in Lisbon,
a Tuscan hilltop weekend,
a Sicilian terrace party, or
a Provençal dinner under the stars,
Super 8 can be the layer that makes it feel like a memory from the moment you watch it.
We’re The Lopes Photography—editorial destination wedding photographers working with digital, film, and Super 8 across Portugal, Italy, and France.
If you’re even slightly curious about adding Super 8 to your wedding or multi-day event, save this page, send it to your planner, and when you’re ready: get in touch here.
Your Portugal wedding photographers, The Lopes Photography.